From games to collectibles, there’s so many options for giving the best Nintendo gifts you can give. Here are the best around.
The Walking Dead: Everything We Know About “The Fair”
Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead up through Season 9’s midseason finale, “Evolution.”
The first half of The Walking Dead’s Season 9 was overflowing with “stuff and things.” There were two time jumps, a couple of kids grew up, Gabriel kept making out with people, a handful of new characters entered the mix, gruesome new foes The Whisperers claimed their first victim, and some major characters exited stage left. And buried inside all of this were occasional mentions of… a fair?
Marvel First Announced a Shang-Chi Movie 13 Years Ago
A Shang-Chi movie is reportedly in development, but Marvel actually first announced it was working on a film based on the Asian super hero back in 2005.
Prior to Iron Man (the first official Marvel Cinematic Universe movie) being released in 2008, Marvel Studios announced it had raised $525 million to make its own movies based off Marvel properties. At the time, a slew of possible Marvel movies were announced: Avengers, Captain America, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Cloak & Dagger, Power Pack and, of course, Shang-Chi.
The Biggest Comics To Read In 2019
We may be a little less than a month away from the new year, but that doesn’t mean we’re not already eagerly anticipating some of the new year’s best new comics. From all new #1s at Marvel and DC to revivals of cult classic franchises at Image, Boom, and Dynamite, 2019 is shaping up to be a powerhouse year for every corner of the comic book industry. There’s something in the mix for everyone, whether you’re a fan of the dense, cape-and-cowl continuities to be found in superhero stories or you’re looking for an experience that might be a little more niche (and a little less historically convoluted.) We’ve got noir thrillers, TV show spin offs, long awaited returns and some left field debuts.
Of course, these are only ten of the dozens and dozens of comics set to premier next year. Have a book you can’t wait to pick up that didn’t make the cut or flew under the radar? Let us know in the comments below, and keep checking back here at GameSpot Universe for even more coverage of 2018’s very best comics, TV, and movies as well as our picks for 2019’s breakout series’ to watch.
Update: PlayStation Network Now Working
Update: The PSN is now back in working order according to the PSN status page, and all systems are now operational.
Original story follows:
The PlayStation Network across all platforms is experiencing issues across all types of services, according to the official PSN status page.
PSN for PS4, PS4, Web, and Vita is down for account management, online gaming, social aspects, PS Now, and the PlayStation Store, among other services.
Battlefield 5’s First Free DLC Delayed As DICE Discovers Issue At The Last Minute
The first instalment in Battlefield V‘s free DLC campaign will not make it out on schedule. Developer DICE said on Twitter that it found an unspecified “issue” with the first Tides of War content, Chapter 1: Overture, and as such, the release is being held back beyond its announced December 4 launch.
“Rather than create issues in the game, we’re holding the update for the time being,” DICE said. The studio added that it will report back with an update as soon as possible, but for now the developer said it does not anticipate “a long delay.”
The new Panzerstorm map
Whereas previous Battlefield games charged money for extra content, Battlefield V is giving it away for free through the live service element known as Tides of War. Chapter 1: Overture adds a new map, Panzerstorm, which is set in 1940 Belgium. As its name suggests, it is a tank-focused map–and DICE says up to 17 tanks can duke it out at once on the map.
The Overture update also adds the fifth War Story single-player chapter, The Last Tiger. This missions sees you playing as a Nazi soldier who is fighting not only Allied forces but also “their own doubts about doubts about the ideology that led them to their now-inevitable defeat.” You can see a brief tease for the campaign in the video below.
What’s more, Overture introduces a new training mode called Practice Range, a tutorial mode of sorts that teaches you the basics of weapons and vehicles. Additionally, the update introduces new challenges that reward players with things like soldier outfits and weapon skins, while the game also adds cosmetic customisation options for tanks and other vehicles.
On a further-out timeline, Battlefield V will introduce a battle royale mode called Firestorm in March.
Red Dead Online: Rockstar Will Re-Balance In-Game Gold Bar Economy
Rockstar has responded to player feedback for Red Dead Online’s beta, specifically commenting on fixing the in-game economy.
“Our current areas of focus include the in-game economy, which will require some additional balancing in order to ensure all activities are appropriately rewarding and fun, as well as some persistent bugs that are causing some players to be kicked from sessions.”
Rockstar’s decision to focus on this fix first, is most likely a response from players complaining about the time it can take to earn just one gold bar in the game, which is approximately 8 hours.
Red Dead Online’s Economy Isn’t Right, Rockstar Admits; Updates Coming Soon
Red Dead Redemption 2‘s multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, launched in late November as a beta–and Rockstar had said from the start that players should expect bugs and other oddities. Players have indeed discovered the experience to be less-than-optimal in some areas, one of which is the in-game economy. Players quickly found out that baked beans are more valuable than gold rings, based on Red Dead Online’s economy–and that’s probably not right.
Rockstar has now acknowledged the problems with Red Dead Online’s economy, stating on Twitter that it is working on getting the economy in a better place “to ensure all activities are appropriately rewarding and fun.” The studio needs more time to work on balancing to get this right, it said.
Outside of the in-game economy, Rockstar is also planning to address some of the “persistent bugs” related to players getting kicked out of sessions.
“The game has been developed so that we will be able to quickly make any adjustments like these,” Rockstar said. The first updates for Red Dead Online are expected to launch at the end of the week at the soonest, with more updates coming next week.
You can send feedback about Red Dead Online directly to Rockstar here. There is no word on how long the game will remain in beta form, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
Red Dead Online features new story missions set before the events of the single-player campaign that can be played solo or with others. It also features a variety of co-op and PvP modes, including Red Dead’s own battle royale mode.
Rockstar says to expect “lots more updates to the Red Dead Online beta in the coming weeks and months.” It hasn’t shared much about what to expect in terms of future updates to the game, though Grand Theft Auto V‘s extensive array of free GTA Online expansions suggests there’s plenty in store.
A future update for Red Dead Online will add the ability to purchase the in-game currency gold with real money. Gold can also be earned by playing, and it’s used to buy certain weapons and other items, as well as a shortcut to lower your Honor level.
If you pre-ordered the game or bought a special edition, here’s how to access your bonus content.
For more on Red Dead Online, check out GameSpot’s recent opinion piece, “Red Dead Online’s Beta Misses What Makes RDR 2 Great.”
The Super Smash Bros. Series Will Never Die, Thanks To Fans
There’s only one series in the world where you can punch Mario in the jaw while playing as Kirby, and that’s Super Smash Bros. A beautiful anomaly of games with orchestral banger versions of classic Nintendo tunes, walls of collectibles from each franchise’s history that make it feel like a weird gaming museum, and an overflowing list of unsuspecting, wacky crossover characters that even eclipses Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War.
It’s a series with something special, and it’s powered by a community of people who really care about it. Super-fans that continue to pump life into a game for over 17 years; analyzing characters, utilizing glitches, creating competitive rulesets, and organizing communal tournaments around the world for players of all skill levels, simply because they love the games so much.
Black Desert: 5 Things To Know When Starting Xbox’s New MMORPG
Black Desert is finally making its way over to the Xbox One. Massive, open-world MMORPGs are still relatively rare on consoles, but games like Final Fantasy XIV and The Elder Scrolls Online are slowly reforming that perception.
Over on PC, Black Desert Online has earned its spot as one of the most popular MMOs around. By adopting a buy-to-play model, similar to The Elder Scrolls Online and Guild Wars 2, once you pay for access to the game, you no longer have to pay a fee anymore (a la Destiny 2) – unless you want to. There’s a cash shop with optional items and perks for premium users, but it’s totally playable as just the base game if you want.
Since a lot of Xbox One players are likely new to this MMO, we’ve put together five specific things to know when starting out in Black Desert on Xbox One based on time spent with the recent Open Beta period.